Tags Archives:Young M.A

MCMI REPORT: Stonebrown Studios Brooklyn – Remixed & RestyledAt MCMI Records, we do most of our recording, mixing and mastering out of one studio. We have for years. The reason? We trust the ear, experience and skill of our chief engineer, Dennis Mitchell.

Dennis is an old school studio engineer who can build compression strips, microphones and mixing boards, make his own cables, build computers and set up speakers and soundproofing for optimum mixing. He’s been recording since AMPEX reels back in the day, but knows the latest hardware and software and is always up to date. Simply put, he is one of the best. Rockafella had Young Guru on the boards; MCMI has Dennis Mitchell.

Paying his dues at the big studios like Firehouse, INS, Chung King, Electric Ladyland and others, Dennis tracked or mixed sessions for Das EFX, SWV, Wu-tang Clan and many other notable artists.

When Dennis set up his own studio, in an apartment in Park Slope, HYDRA went there. The location didn’t matter. Our mixes came out awesome, with balanced vocals, thumping kicks and punchy snares. His analogue compression modules, and knowledge of frequencies, and his ear (actually, both of them), created amazing results.

When the studio relocated to 626 Carlton Avenue, in a bigger, dedicated, space (no longer his apartment), we set up shop and started working on out music from Hydra, PH (aka Pumpkinhead), Chordz Cordero, MrMecc, Archrival and other artists down with The Plague and MCMI. The sound was great, Dennis works fast and we got a lot done.

The only thing lacking in that studio was the vocal booth was tiny (could only hold one person) and even the mixing station was very small. Four or five people and you were packed in like sardines. Sill, a lot of artists recorded great music there, including … Young M.A, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Troy Ave and others.

In 2016, Dennis decided to expand the studio and take it to the next level. He tore down the walls, redid the ceilings and floors and even moved the heating system to create more space. Now the mixing room can accommodate a lot more people, the sound booth can hold a group of people, plus instruments and he has a nice lounge which doubles as a live room or Podcast/Radio show, when needed. Whether you sing, rap or are a DJ making a mixtape, you can record live, mix, have your tracks mastered, even apply autotune or melodine. Stonebrown does it all.

This Tuesday, March 28th, will be an OPEN HOUSE from 7pm – 10pm, for all artists, producers and DJ’s who want to come through, see the new look, play your music through their system and talk to Dennis about your projects’ needs. Special deals will be made, for those who attend. It costs nothing, but you MUST RSVP, to StoneBrownStudios (at) gmail, in order to attend. Once a certain number of people is reached, the list will close, but StoneBrown will be having producer listening sessions in the future, so there will be more opportunities.

If you want to book studio time, you can take advantage of the online Google STUDIO calendar to see what days/times are available and then call, email or text 917 349 0524 to book your session. Use Code “MCMI” for DISCOUNT on first session!

Uncle Murder Rap Up vs Mad Skillz Wrap Up vs Bekay Year in Review!

(Who wins 2016?)

*UPDATE: So far a lot of people are saluting Bekay on this. I decided to throw Uncle Murder into the mix as well. Are you feeling his version? Comment below. – GMS

Okay by now I’m sure you’ve heard several people do these long end of the year freestyles, where they mention everything noteworthy that has happened over the year. Well, if memory serves correctly, Virgina MC Mad Skillz (you know, who battled SuperNat, had that joint “The Headnod“, was a member of the SupaFriendz, who were on Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody“, back in the day?) Yeah, that guy, just so we are clear, made that whole idea up, in 2002, made it hot and since then it’s become a trend.

Not that anybody minds! I love hearing different MC’s do wrap ups, with their unique style and take on the year’s events. But just to give credit where credit is due, props to Skillz for that. This year, he dropped another one and so did a few other MC’s. I thought it would be dope to battle two versions together, not just to see which is doper, but to see what they talk about. Do they cover some of the same topics, mention the same events? What does each have on theirs that the other doesn’t have? I decided to give local freestyle king and recording artist Bekay (from BK, where else?) a shot, being that he has been dropping consistently dope “Year In Review’s” every year since 2010.

In real life, the two artists do not have beef or anything, we are just playing a game. So let’s enjoy both of these MC’s as they help us say goodbye to the wretched 2016. Weapon (instrumental) of choice: Madskillz – Young M.A.’s “Summer Freestyle”; Bekay – Fat Joe, Remy Ma & French Montana’s “All the Way Up”. This should be interesting. Okay, fellas, 10 paces, turn around and come out rhyming.

Just for fun, leave a comment about who you think won, and what the best lines were.

Today, via a premiere with Rapradar, Statik Selektah leaked a new track, “Crystal Clear,” which features Royce Da 5’9. “Crystal Clear” can be found on Statik’s upcoming album, Lucky 7, which will be released 7-7-15 on Showoff Records/Duck Down Music.